Sign mounting means for a vehicle bumper



Dec. 22, 1964 w. s. HAs'rlNGs SIGN MOUNTING MEANS FOR A VEHICLE BUMPER Filed Nov. 27

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR l2 WARREN S. HAsTmG-s De 22, 1964 w. s. HAsTlNGs 3,161,973

SIGN MOUNTING MEANS FOR A VEHICLE BUMPER Filed Nov. 27, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o fn 3 NVENTOR. Q A WARREN SJASTWNGS BY d ATTORNEY S United States Patent O 3,11,973 SIGN MGUNTDIG MEANS FOR A VEHCLE BUMPER Warren S. Hastings, 202 N. Front St., Mounds, Eil. Fiied Nov. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 326,417 3 Claims. (Cl. t0-129) This invention relates to a sign mounting means for vehicle bumpers.

An object of the present invention is to provide `a sign mounting means which enables the ready attachment of a sign to a vehicle beumper, and which permits the sign, when attached to the vehicle bumper, to be swung between an upright or use position and a lay-down position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sign mounting means which lends itself to supporting a sign in an upright or use position from a vehicle bumper, and permits the sign to be released from the upright position and swung to a lay-down position, and which may be swung from the lay-down position to the upright position and releasably retained in the upright position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sign mounting means which is capable of ready attachment to or detachment from a vehicle bumper, and which is highly efhcient in action, and commercially feasible.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational view of the rear portion of an automobile with the sign mounting means of the present invention attached to the bumper of the automobile and with the sign supported in the mounting means, the full-line showing illustrating the sign in laydown position for access to the trunk, and the dottedline showing illustrating the signin upright or use position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on 4the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the assembly of FIGURE 3, with parts broken awa* showing the post in upright or use position.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view of the mounting means of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURE l of the drawings, a pair of sign mounting means of the present invention and indicated generally by the numeral 10, are shown mounted upon a bumper 12 of an automobile 14, the pair of means receiving the sign supporting post 16 of a sign-containing frame or sign 18.

Inasmuch as the two sign mounting means 1i? are identical in structure, only the right-hand one will be specifically described. Such means comprises a saddle 20 which is positioned so as to rest upon and be supported upon the top portion of the bumper 12. Disposed in spaced relation to the saddle 2t) is a backing member 22, the backing member being tixedly attached to a socket 24 which extends along one face thereof. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 7, the socket 24 is in the form of an open-ended sleeve which sleeve abuts against a face of the backing member 22 and is fixedly attached to the backing member by means of a threaded bolt 26 extending through a threaded hole 27 formed in the backing member 22, and also a threaded hole 23 formed in the socket or :sleeve 24, the bolt being ixedly held in place through the medium of a threaded lock nut 29 in threaded ICC engagement with the threaded bolt 26 and in bearing engagement with the inner face of the socket or sleeve 24.

Means is provided for xing the socket or sleeve 24 in position on the backing member 22, such means comprising a U-shaped tie bar 30 whose bight 31 is disposed so as to embrace lthe socket or sleeve 24 with its legs 32 extending through spaced apertures 33 also provided in the backing member 22, the projecting end portions of the legs being threaded and being tixedly and tightly secured to the backing member 22 by means of threaded lock nuts 35 in threaded engagement with the threaded projecting end portions of the legs 32 and bearing against the other face of the backing member 22.

A horizontally-disposed pivot means connects the backing member to the saddle 2t) for swinging movement of the back-ing member about the pivot means tol a position in which the socket 24 extends in an upright position or direction. Specifically, the pivot means comprises a pair of spaced aligned horizontally-disposed pivot pins 36, the pins 36 being carried by a pair of legs 37 rising rom the ends of the saddle 29 and on these pins 36 are rotatably mounted lugs 38 which project from the side edges or the backing member 22.

At least two ears 4t) are each supported on the pivot means for rocking movement therearound. Specically, each ear 4h is supported on a pivot pin 36 for rocking movement therearound by means of a knuckle 41 which is on the ear and which is rotatably supported on the pivot pin 36.

It is to be noted that the pins are each in the form of a threaded bolt and to adjustably retain the lugs 38 of the backing member 22 and the knuckles 4i of the ears itl on the threaded bolt, a threaded lock nut S6 is in threaded engagement with each of the threaded bolts and is turned down until it tightly engages the adjacent lug SS of the backing member 22.

A fastening element 43 extends through and is adjustably securable to each of the ears 4t) and has means on one end which is adapted to embracingly engage an edge of the top portions of the bumper 12 when the saddle Ztl is positioned on the top portion of the bumper l2. Speciiically, the fastening element d3 embodies a threaded shank 44 which extends loosely through a hole i5 provided in each of the ears 40 and a hook d6 on one end which is adapted to embracingly engage an edge of the top portion of the bumper 12 when the saddle is so positioned on the top portion of the bumper 12, the threaded shank 44 being adjustably secured to the adjacent ear 49 by means of a threaded nut 4S in threaded engagement with the shank 44. v

Strap means, indicated generally by the numeral 49, is carried by the saddle 20 and has a free end provided with means which is adapted to embrace a lower end edge of the bumper 12 when the saddle 2h is positioned upon the top poration of the bumper l2 to hold the saddle in position on the bumper i2 of the vehicle l0. Specifically, the strap means 49 embodies a chain 5th which has one top portion of the bumper 12.

An articulated support member d@ is arranged in an upright direction `and has .the lower end portion extending into and secured to :the socket 24 and has the upper end portion swingable from the upright direction, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, to a downward direction, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 2. Specifically, the lower end portion of the support member 60 embodies a short tube 6i which is disposed within and is rmly secured to the socket 24 by means of the bearing Contact of the tie bar 36 with the socket or sleeve 24. The upper end portion of the support member 6i? embodies an elongated pipe 62 provided with a longitudinal slot 65, the purpose of which will subsequently become apparent. The pipe 62 is pivotally connected to the tube 61 as by laterally-spaced link bars 64 which are p-ivotally connected at their complementari ends to the pipe 62 and tube 61 respectively.

One of the sign supporting posts lo for lthe display sign has a lower end portion circurnposed about and connected to the upper end portion or pipe 62 of the articulated support member 66 for sliding back-and-forth movement thereon. Speciically, the lower end portion of the post 16 Iis connected to the pipe 62 by a pin 65 projecting rom .the interior of the lower end portion of the post and slidably engaging the slot 63 of the pipe 62. The lower end portion of the post l is telescopically and releasably received in the socket 24 and has its lower end resting upon the upper end of the tube ol when the articu- :lated support member 663 is in the upright direct-ion for holding the post i6 in the upright direction or upright position.

ln operation, with a sign attached to a pair of spaced sign mounting means and the articulated member di?, the sign supporting post lo, and the sign in a lay-down position, one of the sign supporting means of the present invention is positioned so that the saddle is upon the top portion of the bumper 12 of the vehicle itl, and the hook 52 of the cha-in 5b is then placed so that it embracingly engages the lower end edge of the bumper l2. The nuts 56 are then loosened from the pivot bolts 36, the backing member 22 swung to a position such that the socket 214 is in the upright direction, and the ears il swung to a position such that the hooks 46 ofA the threadedshanks 44 engage the edge of the top portion or the bumper 12, whereupon the nuts o are then tightened against the lugs 38 on the backing member 22. The other sign mounting means of the present invention is similarly mounted upon the bumper :l2 of the vehicle lil. The articulated members dil, the post lo?, and the sign lb carried thereby are then swung so that the members are in upright position, whereupon the lower end portions of the posts are slid along the adiacent pipe o2 toward the adjacent sockets 24 until the lower ends of the posts 16 are telescopically received within and rest upon the upper ends of the tubes 61 of the articulated members 66, resulting in releasably holding the posts le and the associated sign 1S in the upright or use position. To swing the sign 18 to the lay-down position, the lower end portions of the posts 6G are shifted upwardly until they are free of the sockets 24 and encompass the pipes 62 of the articulated mernbers 60, whereupon the pipes 62, the lower portions of the posts 4 6, and the associated sign 1S are swung downwardly, permitting the pipes 62 of the articulated members 69 to pivot through the medium of the link bars 64 of the articulated` members di).

What is claimed is: Y

1. A sign mounting means for a vehicle comprising a saddle adapted to be positioned so as -to rest upon and be supported upon the top portion of a bumper of a vehicle, a backing member, a socket extending along one face of and tixedly attached to said backing member, said backing member being disposed in spaced relation to said saddle, horizontally-disposed pivot means connecting said backing member to said saddle for swinging movement of said backing member about said pivot means to a position in whichfsaid socket extends in an upright direction, at least two ears each supported on said pivot means for rocking movement therearound, a fastening element extending through and adjustabl'y securable to each of said ears and having means on one end adapted to embracingly engage an edge of the top portion of a bumper of a vehicle when said saddle is positioned on the top portion of the bumper of said vehicle, strap means carried by said saddle and having a free end provided with means adapted to embrace the lower end edge of a bumper of a vehicle when said saddle is positioned upon the top portion of the bumper of said vehicle to hold the saddle in position on the bumper of said vehicle, an articulated support member arranged in an upright direction and having the lower end portion extending into and secured to said socket and having the upper end portion swingable from the upright direction to a downward direction, and a sign supporting post for adisplay sign having the lower end portion circumposed about and connected to the upper end portion of said support member for sliding bacloanddorth movement thereon, said lower end portion of said post being telescopically and releasably received in said socket when the articulated support member is in the upright direction for holding `said post in the upright direction.

2. The. signl mountingrneans according to claim l wherein the lower end portion of said articulated support member embodies a tube, and the upper end portion of said articulated support member embodies an elongated pipe which is pivotally connected to said tube.

3. The sign mounting means according to claim 2 wherein the pipe is pivotally connected to the tube of the articulated support member by laterally-spaced link bars pivotally connected at their compleinental ends to said pipe and tube respectively.

References @lied by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,329 ll/l6 Wilins 13S- 4 1,666,757 4/28 Snyder 135-4 l,67.4,248 6/28 Johnson 129-13 X 1,779,662 lil/30 Cleland 224-4208 2,591,337 4/52 Cohen 224--4203 X 2,708,594 5/55 MacPherson Lil-2O() X 2,922,653 l/ OBrien 13S-4 X 3,013,754 l2/6l Hastings.

tenor/1E SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SIGN MOUNTING MEANS FOR A VEHICLE COMPRISING A SADDLE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED SO AS TO REST UPON AND BE SUPPORTED UPON THE TOP PORTION OF A BUMPER OF A VEHICLE, A BACKING MEMBER, A SOCKET EXTENDING ALONG ONE FACE OF AND FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO SAID BACKING MEMBER, SAID BACKING MEMBER BEING DISPOSED IN SAPCE RELATION TO SAID SADDLE, HORIZONTALLY-DISPOSED PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID BACKING MEMBER TO SAID SADDLE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID BACKING MEMBER ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEANS TO A POSITION IN WHICH SAID SOCKET EXTENDS IN AN UPRIGHT DIRECTION, AT LEAST TWO EARS EACH SUPPORTED ON SAID PIVOT MEANS FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT THEREAROUND, A FASTENING ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH AND ADJUSTABLY SECURABLE TO EACH OF SAID EARS AND HAVING MEANS ON ONE END ADAPTED TO EMBRACINGLY ENGAGE AN EDGE OF THE TOP PORTION OF A BUMPER OF A VEHICLE WHEN SAID SADDLE IS POSITIONED ON THE TOP PORTION OF THE BUMPER OF SAID VEHICLE, STRAP MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SADDLE AND HAVING A FREE END PROVIDED WITH MEANS ADAPTED TO EMBRACE THE LOWER END EDGE OF A BUMPER OF A VEHICLE WHEN SAID SADDLE IS POSITIONED UPON THE TOP PORTION OF THE BUMPER OF SAID VEHICLE TO HOLD THE SADDLE IN POSITION ON THE BUMPER OF SAID VEHICLE, AN ARTICULATED SUPPORT MEMBER ARRANGED IN AN UPRIGHT DIRECTION AND HAVING THE LOWER END PORTION EXTENDING INTO AND SECURED TO SAID SOCKET AND HAVING THE UPPER END PORTION SWINGABLE FROM THE UPRIGHT DIRECTION TO A DOWNWARD DIRECTION, AND A SIGN SUPPORTING POST FOR A DISPLAY SIGN HAVING THE LOWER END PORTION CIRCUMPOSED ABOUT AND CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR SLIDING BACK-AND-FORTH MOVEMENT THEREON, SAID LOWER END PORTION OF SAID POST BEING TELESCOPICALLY AND RELEASABLY RECEIVED IN SAID SOCKET WHEN THE ARTICULATED SUPPORT MEMBER IS IN THE UPRIGHT DIRECTION FOR HOLDING SAID POST IN THE UPRIGHT DIRECTION. 